When a friend shared her dread about going pants and shorts shopping, I was struck by how pants – which once signaled a woman’s strength and independence – have become, perhaps with other garments, a source of anxiety, discomfort and dread.

Women’s pant sizes don’t make any sense, they aren’t consistent across brands, and they always seem to be too tight in one place and too loose in another – making pants shopping a surprisingly stressful undertaking.

There are many more knowledgeable of the fashion industry than I, so I will leave it to them to dissect the cycle of ever-shrinking models and clothing standards and what it means for self-image and self-confidence.

But, my friends, I will leave you with this:
An Amazon woman wearing pants, ca. 470 BC. And man, that warrior looks comfortable.